Polynesian Society.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 12970, 25 September 1905, Page 6

Polynesian Society.

The quarterly meeting of iha Council oi the Society was held on Friday, 22nd inst. The following members were present : Mr Si P. Smith, F.R.G.S. (President of the Society, in the chair), and Messrs Corkill, Fraser, Newman, Parker and Skinner.

Correspondence was read from Profusaor A. K. Kean, F.8.G.5., London, accepting his nomination as an honorary member, and thanking tha Society for the unsolicited honour; from ihe Field Colombian Museum, Chicago, requesting that a set of the journals of *the Society be forwarded for library of museum ; from University of California acknowledging with thanks the receipt of a number of journals, and sending in return a complete set of the publications of University dealing with anthropological and kindred subjects, and • from various other (correspondents. s

Original papers received for publication since last meeting were "The last oi the Ngati-mamoe people/ by J. Cowen ; "Wharekorangi/ 5 ancient Maori ceremonies and procedure ai childbirth, by Elsdon Best ; "Maori Superstitions," by Col. Gudgeon.

It was decided to write the Japanese Society, London, and the Cambridge Philosophical Society, England, drawing their attention flo the irregularities in forwarding their publications.

Mr W. Smith, Eailway Department, Aramoho, was elected a member of the Society.

Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs' account of £36 1 0s f or< publishing part 2 of vol. XIV. of journal was passed for payment. ,

The President stated that llie Maori history of the West Coast of New Zealand—Kawhia to Wellington— from the earliest times down to 1845, the material of which has been gathered by Mr W. H. 1 Skinner and himself, was now being collated and prepared for publication in the journal. As the work would be of great interest to many outside the Society, it had been thought advisable to publish it in booirlorm also, but this would depend upon the promises of support vcenjved. The work would ( be profusely illustrated by maps, plans of pas and' battlefields and photos of historic sitos and .reproductions of old prints of celebrated Maori warriors and leaders in the early part of last century of the West Coast tribes.